Whether you plan to build a single industrial structure or an entire business park, pre-engineered steel buildings are the best choice. In fact, steel claims an astonishing 95% of the industrial building market. It is easy to see why.

Completing Phase 2 of the RHINO Business Park in Denton, TX

Recently, we at RHINO embarked on our own odyssey into real estate development. With decades of experience in prefabricated metal buildings— and a yearning to conquer new horizons— we plunged into developing a commercial/light industrial park.

This building includes four 12’ x 14’ insulated overhead doors with automatic lifts and two walk-in doors with windows. Eight-foot steel panels line the interior walls. We prepped the structure to include a small office area with bathroom— and a sprinkler system, if desired.

We configured this building with two 12’ x 14’ insulated overhead doors in the sidewall and two in the endwall. As with the first structure, this 7,000 sq. ft. RHINO steel building includes 8’ steel liner panels on the interior walls and two steel personnel doors with glass windows.

How We Remodeled Existing Steel Buildings for a Fresh, New Look

We recently acquired some property in Denton, Texas, which included two existing metal buildings. Our plans were to convert the property into a revenue-generating industrial business park.

Updating Existing Metal Buildings

We began the development with the two existing steel buildings.

One structure is 15,000 sq. ft.; the other is 9,000 sq. ft. Both structures are 14’ in height.

The steel framing on these buildings is in great shape. However, to increase the value to potential tenants, we updated the exteriors.

Renovations began by removing the weathered steel wall panels. New wall sheathing replaced the old exterior. Contrasting steel trim added to the new look. Steel gutters and downspouts matching the contrasting trim completed the basic look.

Increasing Energy Efficiency

Rather than stripping and replacing the roof panels, we added another roof over the old. Using an engineered system called Roof-Huggers, a retrofit roof system, created a space between the old and new roof. That allows for more insulation to be added over the existing insulated roof.

We originally planned to call the development the Market Street Business Park. However, people continually called it the RHINO Business Park, so the name stuck.

Two new RHINO steel buildings— a 6,765 sq. ft. and a 17,000 sq. ft. structure— now stand ready for occupancy. (More on the construction of these two steel industrial buildings will be in an upcoming blog.)

Two more RHINO metal buildings are slated to begin construction in about two months. When … Read more »

Part 2: Five Things Required to an Obtain Metal Building Permit

3. Structural plans certified and stamped by an engineer licensed in that state

4. Location of the building on the property

5. Patience

The building department makes sure your project meets all code, load, zoning, safety, size, aesthetic, and local requirements. They also check to be sure that your building location does not interfere with easements, watershed, setbacks, sewer lines, and so forth.

Also, check to see if your neighborhood building association imposes limitations on structures.

In most locations, building permitting is simple, straightforward process. You fill out an application for a permit, describing the details about the structure, its use, and the building’s location.

Once your application is approved, construction can begin.

However, in some areas permitting can be a lengthy process. This is especially true in some large metropolitan areas or in places with stringent seismic and wind load requirements.

High-occupancy structures like churches and large retail stores may also face a longer permitting process.

How Does RHINO Aid the Permitting Process?

Obtaining proper construction permits remains the responsibility of the steel building buyer. However, RHINO does offer help. Our steel building specialists lend their expertise. Feel free to ask them for advice or information to smooth the permitting process for your RHINO steel building.

As stated earlier, permitting normally requires plans stamped by an engineer licensed in your state. Every RHINO order includes three sets of engineer-stamped plans with a Letter of Certification.

Part 1: The Importance of Construction Permits for Metal Buildings

Most local building authorities require construction permits for all new construction and remodel additions. While some rural areas may not need a building permit for agricultural steel buildings or storage structures, NEVER assume your structure is exempt.

Why Do You Need a Building Permit?

Building permits and inspections protect you from inferior construction. They make sure your structure is safe, up to code, available for resell, and insurable.

Who is Responsible for Building Permits?

The responsibility for obtaining building permits rests squarely on the shoulders of the property owner. It is in your own best interest to be sure your structure meets all local requirements.

When you build without proper documentation, you risk the following:

• Making your property very difficult to sell
• Being forced to make expensive changes to meet building standards
• Lenders refusing loan approvals for potential buyers
• Being forced to move or rebuild structures to accommodate overlooked setbacks or easements
• Paying expensive fines for not following zoning and permitting laws
• Enforced demolition of an improperly constructed building

First, call your local building department. You can find the number in the phone book or by searching online.

Ask if your property falls under the jurisdiction of that office. Be ready with the exact property description and location from your deed.

Some areas belong in the jurisdiction of the City Building Department; other locations fall under the purview of the County Building Department. Do not waste time asking numerous questions, … Read more »

5 Steps from Order to Delivery of a Prefabricated Steel Building

We discussed how to get a RHINO metal building quote on our last blog. Now let’s look at what happens when you are ready to order your new RHINO steel building.

There are five basic steps in the RHINO metal building ordering process.

STEP 1: Confirm the Contract

RHINO sends a detailed order form to you. The form contains all permanent information, size, local building codes, loads, with frame design and building layout.

You need to confirm the stated building loads and codes meet or exceed the local requirements. Double-check that all the information on the contract is correct.

Once you confirm all the details on the order form, sign the contract and return it to RHINO with the 25% deposit.

The design and engineering for your structure begins when the order/contract is received.

STEP 2: Certification and Plans

Your RHINO steel buildings may be ordered for “production” (typically delivered in six to eight weeks) or for “permit.”

The production order continues to manufacturing without delay.

However, in some areas of the country, permitting is a lengthy process. For these locations, manufacturing does not begin until the permitting process is completed. Delivery typically is five weeks after manufacturing begins.

When the design and engineering is completed— typically, two to three weeks— you receive a Letter of Certification with three sets of plans stamped by an engineered licensed for your state. Anchor bolt plans also arrive. The plans and letters allow you— or your contractor— to obtain the necessary building permits. (Your RHINO steel building specialist can advise you on the permitting process.)

Before you decide on the size building you will need, consider how steel buildings are measured.

Out-to-out measurement of the steel framing determines building size. If you are basing your building size on interior dimensions, you will need to adjust the building width and length to include the steel columns.

Steel building heights are measured at the framing eave. If you require a specific ceiling height, adjust your building dimensions accordingly.

RHINO’s steel building specialists can assist you in choosing correct dimensions to correlate with your design.

Supplying Complete Information

Once you have determined the correct width, length, and height of your structure, you are ready to begin the metal building quote form.

Contact information allows the company to ask pertinent questions about your project.

General Building Specifications

Knowing the county in which you are building is essential to providing an accurate quote. Local building codes dictate the wind, snow, and seismic loads required for structures. Some municipalities also have building height or other restrictions.

Understanding the purpose of the building helps clarify other restrictions which apply. It may also decide on the type of framing necessary. For example, an aircraft hangar requires unobstructed space, dictating a clear-span frame. A manufacturing plant of the same size might include limited columns, indicating economical modular framing.

The roof type and pitch affects the price of your structure. Most metal buildings assume … Read more »

RHINO: The Symbol of Quality-Made Metal Buildings

When launching our fledgling metal building company in 1998, we choose RHINO Steel Building Systems for our company name.

Branding is important in any enterprise. We wanted an easily recognizable brand identification. It needed to represent the strength and toughness of our prefabricated steel buildings. We became hooked on the idea of a rhinoceros as a company symbol.

Today RHINO Steel Building Systems stands as a well-established name in metal buildings, with a reputation as a premier steel building brand.

The Rhino: Known for Strength and Durability

Did you ever see the John Wayne movie “Hatari”? If you have, you will never forget the exciting scene where they try to capture the rhinoceros. The strength and endurance of this powerful animal is awesome.

RHINO steel building systems maintain a reputation for strength and endurance, too.

Steel has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material. The durability of steel buildings is well documented. RHINO metal buildings stay strong for decades longer than other structures. And RHINO steel buildings retain their value much longer, too.

The Pros and Cons of Field-Welded and Pre-engineered Steel Buildings

Internet chat rooms are filled with consumers trying to decide between weld-up and bolt-up metal buildings. Almost without exception, those responding advise choosing a pre-engineered bolt-up steel building system. (One man in Arizona reported building two steel hangars— one weld-up and one bolt-up. He said the weld-up hangar almost shook apart in high winds that did not faze the bolt-up hangar.)

So what are the differences between the two methods?

Weld-Up Steel Buildings

Weld-up— or field-welded— steel buildings are fabricated at the job site.

The steel framing is usually made of steel pipe bought locally. Every piece of framing must be measured, cut, and welded by the builder, including the trusses.

Bolt-up Steel Buildings

Professional designers and engineers create the plans for bolt-up metal buildings, adhering to local building codes and load requirements.

COST:
Depending on the quantity and source, initial material costs may be somewhat less on weld-up framing materials. However, the speed and simplicity of erecting a pre-engineered bolt-up steel building more than offsets any difference in material costs.

QUALITY:
A steel building’s strength is only as good as the strength of its connections. How do you know the Bubba you hired to field-weld your framing knows his stuff? RHINO’s bolt-up steel framing comes from AISC-certified factories, with rigid quality controls and highly trained professional welders and fabricators.

Less Hassles and Headaches with Steel Building Systems

Pre-engineered metal buildings distill the building process to its simplest form. Steel building systems by design eliminate the wasted materials, wasted time, and wasted motion so often a part of building.

Whatever the application, choosing a dependable, easy-to-erect prefabricated metal building takes the stress out of construction.

Why Less is MORE with Pre-engineered Steel Buildings

It sounds like an oxymoron, but less really is more with RHINO steel building systems.

LESS TIME: Prefabrication makes steel buildings go up much faster than other building methods. Everything arrives ready to assemble. No need to measure, cut, weld, or punch the prefabricated framing components. It is like an erector set for grownups.

LESS PEOPLE: The simplicity of pre-engineered steel buildings requires fewer erectors. Building crews are smaller, cutting erection costs. Many people opt to erect the framing themselves with a few friends.

LESS MONEY: Streamlined processing and fabrication makes steel building systems very affordable.

LESS INSURANCE COSTS: The quicker a building goes up, the less builder’s insurance costs. The faster the construction, the less time thieves have access to building materials, too. As a fire-resistant commercial-grade building material, steel buildings receive substantial long-term insurance discounts with most carriers.

LESS UPKEEP: Steel buildings require very little maintenance, cutting long-term costs over other building materials.

The Importance of AISC Certification to Metal Building Buyers

The quality of a pre-engineered steel building ultimately rests with its fabricators. Poor steel building manufacturers produce sub-standard, problem-filled structures. Steel building fabricators with vision use stringent quality control systems to produce durable, dependable, problem-free metal buildings.

Want assurance your steel building order is fabricated by quality-conscious professionals? Order from an American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Certified fabricator.

AISC: A Brief History

In the early 1900s, no standards for steel fabrication existed. Every company did their “own thing” without basic quality controls. Chaos ruled.

Industry leaders sought to set fabrication and ethical standards.

Then America entered the “Great War” (World War I) on April 6, 1917. Major steel companies created a War Service Committee to organize the fractured and fractious individual steel companies to aid in the war effort.

After the war, the War Service Committee reorganized as the National Steel Fabricators Association (NSFA). In 1921, NSFA members wrote the first charter and by-laws. They also changed the non-profit organization’s name to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Ninety-four years later, the AISC continues working to promote steel construction.

Since 1923, AISC has provided the steel industry with “Standard Specifications for the Design, Fabrication, and Erection of Structural Steel Building.”

During World War II, technical committees in the AISC developed steel methods, which conserved critical alloys need for the war effort. In recognition, the U.S. Department of the Army bestowed AISC with the Distinguished Service Award.

Today, the International Building Code used throughout the United States includes all the AISC standard specifications.

New Yorkers Know and Appreciate the Value of Steel Buildings

Pre-engineered metal buildings in New York are nothing new. New York is famous for its steel skyscrapers. Many iconic and innovative high-rise steel buildings dot New York City’s landscape.

Prefabricated steel buildings in New York offer the same strength and durability of high-rise structures to the low-rise construction market.

Imagine the possibilities. Giant warehouses in New York City, aircraft hangars in Utica, restaurants in Albany, churches in Syracuse, recreation centers in Rochester, office buildings in Buffalo, self-storage buildings in Amherst, barns in rural New York— all framed with pre-engineered steel framing.

Pre-engineered Metal Building Information at Your Fingertips

We are celebrating the 200th RHINO steel buildings blog this month! We thought this would be the perfect time to make some of our most informative posts available in an easy-to-use, click-through index.

These posts cover a wide range of metal building-related topics.

Over the last two years, RHINO blogs featured the benefits of prefabricated steel buildings, types of structures, building costs, the environmental advantages of steel structures, metal building accessories, building techniques, and a host of other subjects.

The strength of steel reduces the amount of framing material needed to create a strong, durable structure.
When a steel structure outlives its usefulness, the framing can be reused to create other steel products— or another steel building— by recycling.

The New, Greener Steel Reduces the Environmental Footprint

The steel industry spent billions of dollars in recent years to make producing steel a more environmentally friendly process.

Steel production today requires 34% less energy to produce than it did 40 years ago.

How Pre-engineered Steel Buildings Save Money Now— and Later

In part one of this series, we covered the incredible efficiency of modern steel production and pre-engineered metal building design, production, and delivery.

What does metal building efficiency mean for the steel building buyer? By eliminating waste at every level of production, pre-engineered steel buildings provide a high-quality product at a very cost-competitive price.

Efficient Manufacturing Slashes Construction Time 33% or More

Steel buildings offer consistency not possible with other building methods. Every piece of the framing fits together precisely.

The framing kit arrives ready to erect. Every piece is cut-to-length, welded into shape, pre-punched and drilled, and clearly marked from the factory.

RHINO metal buildings provide fast-track construction. Components assemble logically and quickly. There is only one way to assemble a RHINO steel building— the RIGHT way.

On average, RHINO steel buildings cut construction time by one-third or more. The faster the construction time, the more you save on construction costs— and builder’s insurance. The quicker the building is completed, the sooner it is in operation.

The long-term savings possible with pre-engineered steel buildings are even more significant to the owner of the structure.

Steel buildings outlast other structures. Built strong to last long, prefabricated metal buildings retain their value and appearance decades longer than other building methods. Steel framing … Read more »